Survey says: You might be like 'Tan Mom'

By

HLN Staff

Updated 8:00 AM EDT,

Thu May 31, 2012

Come clean: You snickered uncontrollably at “Tan Mom” Patricia Krentcilearlier this month, but deep down you thought maybe she was on to something. Well, a new survey confirms that many of us enjoy the stares and cares of a sunbaked body.

-- 71% of people agreed with the statement, “Sun exposure is good for your health.”

The survey, conducted among respondents 18 to 29 years old, shows that “age was highly associated with tanning, as the respondents under age 30 were more likely to use tanning beds and spend time in the sun,” said dermatologist Zoe. D. Draelos.

“Ultimately, seeking to change the color of your skin is self-defeating because exposure to ultraviolet radiation -- either through tanning beds or by seeking the sun -- can lead to wrinkles, prematurely aging skin and even a diagnosis of skin cancer,” Draelos said.

Underage tanning bubbled to the forefront recently in the case of Krentcil, 44, who was arrested for allegedly taking her six-year-old daughter into a tanning booth. Krentcil, her face the subject of much hand-wrangling, maternal scorn and even an Internet meme, denies the charges.

HLN readers, what about you? Is tanning a guilty pleasure that can be done discreetly? Or should we curtail all this childish fun in the sun?